Customers say the company trying to revolutionize the plus-size industry has a major problem

Yesterday, Refinery 29 and Lane Bryant hosted a Twitter
chat with the hashtag #AskLaneBryant, in which customers could
ask creative marketing officer Brian Beitler questions about
the business.

Lane Bryant, a subsidiary of Ascena group, is not known for its
cutting edge fashion. What it is known for, however, is its
no-holds-barred ad campaigns. The company made waves with its
"I'm No Angel" campaign, which was a direct
blow at Victoria's Secret and its eponymous angels. The
campaign went viral. (Last night during Victoria's Secret
iconic fashion show, Lane Bryant continued its fight against
Victoria's Secret; it posted a series
of tweets, calling the evening "the
sexiest night ever" alongside photos of its models.)

This fall, Lane Bryant launched another campaign — #PlusIsEqual —
perhaps in hopes to replicate the success of its previous
campaign. Once again, Lane Bryant solidified its reputation as a
place where larger women could be welcome, a haven for women who
were snubbed by major retailers.

But the chat proved that battle cries of equality aren't enough
to get women to shop. They need to actually like the clothes.

Have you considered making clothes that are fashionable in any way? #AskLaneBryant

Unsurprisingly, 92% agreed with the statement "I get upset
when I can't find cute clothes in my size."

A majority of women surveyed agreed with the statement
"the retail industry ignores the needs of plus-size women." And
only 28% of women agreed with the statement "plus-size women are
included in the fashion community."

More than half of the women sampled called plus-size
offerings "frumpy" and "shapeless."

Companies that pat themselves on the back for expanding their
plus size offerings are often faced with criticism, too. When
Target launched its plus size line Ava & Viv, Jezebel writer Lindsay Louise described it as
"meh." Ultimatley, offering the apparel isn't enough.

That's not to say that body positive marketing
campaigns aren't a strong way to pull in sales — Aerie is a
great example of this, with its airbrush-free "Aerie Real"
campaign. But Aerie also has a product that young women like; in
the most recent quarter alone, the company's comparable sales
skyrocketed 21%. (And to be fair to Beitler,
he works in Lane Bryant's marketing department, not its design
sector.)

Lane Bryant already sells plus size clothes — and it's likely
that women are upset because if anyone is nailing plus size
fashion, it should be a company that only sells plus size
apparel.